Abolitionism (bioethics)

This article is about a movement to eliminate involuntary sentient suffering. For other uses, see Abolitionism (disambiguation).

Abolitionism is a bioethical school and socio-political movement that promotes the use of biotechnology to eliminate suffering.

History

Historically, there have been a number of religions and religious denominations which promoted the reduction of suffering by explicitly advocating non-violent behavior. Jainism, Quakerism and The Amish are key examples. Nevertheless, direct reference to the abolition of suffering is rare. The teachings of Gautama Buddha are sometimes understood to have been motivated by the eradication of suffering. Two quotations commonly ascribed to Gautama Buddha are "I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering", and "may all that have life be delivered from suffering."

Philosophy

Abolitionism in the sense of the hedonistic imperative was primarily inspired by Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian ethic.

People have been found in studies to achieve a “baseline happiness,” sometimes called the hedonic treadmill, a pre-determined happiness set point that a person will return to throughout their lives. This set point is regardless of their personal income.

According to evolutionary theory, humans evolved through natural selection and follow genetic imperatives that seek to maximize reproduction, not happiness.

Abolitionism requires as a premise that emotions have a physically manipulable, not spiritual, source, such that by altering the human brain we can fundamentally change the way that humans experience life.

Other forms of abolition include the abolition of suffering through the abolition of fear. Fear is seen by some as the main cause of suffering. The fearless imperative aims to remove fear from the human mind by locating and removing the fear centers of the brain.

Scientific advancements

Recent laboratory breakthroughs have bolstered the idea that happiness is physically based and can be influenced through scientific methods. In 2006, Guillaume Lucas of McGill University and his colleagues published a study on the biochemistry of depression and the development of depression resistance. Mice born without a gene coding for the expression of a potassium channel found in depression-related neurons have resistance to depression (as tested by standard behavioural measures in the rodent model) comparable to that of naive mice treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). People who are less fearful tend to follow their goals and generally don't feel as held back as people with fear. Most fear has been accidentally removed in a 44 year old man who undergone brain surgery.

External links

• The Abolitionist Project
• Responses to commonly raised objections about the abolitionist project
• The Hedonistic Imperative
• This Perfect Day
• Buddhism and Abolitionism
• Critique of Huxley's Brave New World
• Utopian Surgery: Early Arguments Against Anaesthesia in Surgery, Dentistry and Childbirth
• Utopian Pharmacology: Mental Health in the Third Millennium, MDMA and Beyond
• Would You Be Happier If You Were Richer? (pdf)fi:The Hedonistic Imperative